updated 03:00 pm EDT, Tue September 4, 2007

Three store openings

Apple is planning to open three new retail stores this week, helping the company make good on its promise of providing customers with 35-40 new brick-and-mortar outlets in fiscal 2007. This triple grand opening week will include two openings during the middle of the week at 6:00 p.m. -- both on a highly unusual day of the week and time of day when compared to prior store launches, according to ifoAppleStore. Apple has already announced a special event that will take place on Wednesday, September 5th -- just one day before the two stores open their doors for business. Industry watchers speculate that Apple will unveil a new line of iPods during the special event, and that the company could sell The Beatles music in a digital format online for the first time in history via its iTunes Store.